One Thousand and One Persian Nights

Co-organised by the Elphinstone Institute and the Grampian Association of Storytellers, who are also generously sponsoring the event.

Book your free place by e-mailing elphinstone@abdn.ac.uk.

Join us in celebrating Nowruz – the Persian new year – through storytelling, poetry, and even some calligraphy. Hossa Skandary-Macpherson, originally from Afghanistan, will share traditional tales from One Thousand and One Persian Nights, which she learned from her mother, a teacher of Persian literature. Leila Neshat Mokadem, originally from Iran, will talk about the traditions of the Persian new year and its seven symbols. The evening will feature poems from Rumi, Saadi Shirazi, and Hafez and the event will be in English, Dari, and Farsi.

Hossa Skandary-Macpherson was born in Afghanistan and has been raised across several culturally rich countries, including India, Russia, and Belgium. These diverse experiences have shaped her global perspective and deep appreciation for multiculturalism. She is currently based in Aberdeen, Scotland, where she lives with her Scottish husband. Hossa is pursuing a Master of Laws (LLM) degree at the University of Aberdeen, furthering her academic and professional ambitions in the field of law. Alongside her studies, she contributes to LinguaTour, a student-led consultancy project within the School of Language, Literature, Music and Visual Art. Through this initiative, she actively promotes multiculturalism and tourism in the Greater Aberdeen area, combining her international background with her commitment to community engagement.

Leila Neshat Mokadem is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a doctoral health researcher at Robert Gordon’s University, and CEO of Equity Lighthouse, a training and research organisation focussed on health and educational equity. Leila has extensive experience as a programme director, EDI lead at departmental and institutional level, global citizenship educator, and specialist clinical pharmacist. Drawing on her multicultural heritage and ethos of celebrating diversity, her passions lie in co-creating positive impact for and with minoritised communities, learners, and patients.